The night before our mission, there was a kind of quiet certainty in the air. We knew what was at stake. The stakes had never been higher, and yet, as I sat with Steve, Sam, Natasha, and Clint in the operations room, it felt different. It felt like we were on the verge of something big, something that could finally break Hydra's stranglehold on the world.
"Tomorrow, we hit the ground running," Fury said, his voice as calm and cold as ever. He'd been our constant through this whole thing, the one person who never wavered. "We've got a small window of opportunity. The convoy moves in two hours, but if we don't act fast, they'll be gone and we'll be chasing ghosts."
I nodded, my fingers tapping against the table as I stared at the map on the screen. It showed the mountain range where Hydra had their base, nestled deep in the Swiss Alps. A well-protected fortress, but not invulnerable. Not anymore. We had eyes on the convoy, their route, their patrols. We had everything we needed to strike.
The plan was simple but dangerous. We would intercept the convoy, cut off its supplies, and take down the mercenaries guarding it. But we had to move quickly. Hydra's response time would be fast, and we needed to disrupt them before they could send in reinforcements.
Steve turned to me, a look of quiet resolve on his face. "You ready for this?" he asked, his voice low.
I paused, my eyes scanning the map once more. The mission was straightforward, but with Hydra, nothing was ever straightforward. I knew what we were walking into—an army of highly-trained operatives, a fortress, mercenaries with top-tier weapons—and they weren't going to just lie down and let us walk through.
"More than ever," I replied, my voice steady. I had my own demons to deal with, but I wasn't letting them distract me from this. We had a job to do, and I wasn't going to let Hydra get the better of us.
Sam was already gearing up, adjusting his wings for the flight. "This is the part I've been waiting for," he said with a grin. "Let's finally kick some Hydra ass."
"Remember, no heroes," Clint said with a smirk. "We're not in this to show off. Keep it clean. Keep it fast."
Natasha gave us all a once-over. "Focus. We move fast. Get in, get out."
I nodded, feeling the weight of the mission settle in. This was it. No more running, no more hiding. Hydra had a foothold in every corner of the world, but we were going to tear that down, piece by piece.
We suited up in silence, the tension building as the hour drew nearer. I adjusted the weight of my gear, making sure everything was secure. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on me, but I wasn't focused on them. I was focused on what we had to do. On the mission.
When the chopper arrived, we piled in, ready for the long ride to the Alps. The wind whipped around us as we took off, the lights of the base fading behind us as we soared into the night. I kept my eyes on the horizon, watching the darkness stretch out ahead. My mind was focused, my thoughts clear.
As we approached the drop zone, Steve leaned over. "We stick to the plan. The convoy should be in sight soon. We'll have one shot at this. Don't miss."
I gave him a nod, my hands tightening around the straps of my gear. "We won't miss."
The chopper began to descend, the blades cutting through the mountain air as we neared the rugged terrain of the Swiss Alps. Below us, I could see the convoy in the distance, the headlights of the trucks cutting through the night. It was a small group—just four trucks—but they were heavily guarded. Mercenaries in combat gear flanked the convoy, weapons drawn.
"This is it," Sam said over the comms, his voice steady. "We go in hot. No hesitation."
We jumped.
The cold mountain air hit me like a punch as I plunged into the darkness below. I felt the weight of my gear, the sharp sting of adrenaline kicking in. My feet hit the snow with a soft crunch, and I immediately dropped into a crouch, moving low and fast. The convoy was just ahead, unaware of our approach.
Steve was already ahead of me, moving like a shadow, his shield tucked tight against his back. Sam was in the air, surveying the scene from above, while Clint and Natasha were just behind me, covering our six. We were a well-oiled machine—nothing could stop us now.
We had one chance to hit them. If we didn't move fast enough, we'd lose the element of surprise, and with Hydra's resources, reinforcements would be there before we could blink.
"We take the trucks first," Natasha's voice crackled over the comms. "I'll disable the front vehicle, Sam, you take the second. Clint, you're on the third. Bucky, you and Steve hit the last one. Get in close and don't stop until they're all down."
I didn't need any more orders. I knew what I had to do.
The convoy was just a few meters away now. I could hear the voices of the mercenaries, their boots crunching in the snow, their weapons shifting. I knew this wasn't going to be a quick fight. These weren't your average soldiers—they were the best Hydra could afford. But we had one advantage: we knew the terrain, and we knew what we were doing.
Steve gave me a look, his eyes hard and focused. We didn't need words. We knew what was at stake. Hydra had tried to control us for too long. Now, we were taking that control back.
As the convoy neared, we exploded into action.
Sam dove from above, his wings slicing through the air as he took out the second truck's guards with deadly precision. Natasha, ever the strategist, moved quickly, disabling the front vehicle with a well-placed shot to the engine. Clint's arrows flew in rapid succession, striking down the mercenaries with perfect accuracy.
And then, Steve and I hit the last truck.
I was on the move before the first mercenary had a chance to react. I threw my knife at one of the soldiers, taking him down before he could reach for his weapon. Steve was already on the other side, his shield taking out another guard with a single, well-timed throw.
The mercenaries were fast, but they were outmatched. We were a force of nature, a well-coordinated team, and they didn't stand a chance. As I cut through the last of them, I felt a surge of exhilaration. We were unstoppable.
But we weren't done yet. We had the convoy, but now we had to find out where Hydra was hiding next. We couldn't afford to wait.
The last truck was down, the convoy neutralized, but the battle wasn't over. Not yet.
"We've got the convoy," Steve said, his voice steady. "Now, let's get to the base."
I turned to look at him, my heart pounding in my chest. This wasn't just another fight. This was the fight that would define everything.
"We're not stopping," I said, my voice sharp with purpose. "Not until Hydra is finished."
And with that, we began the trek up the mountains, ready to face whatever Hydra had waiting for us. This was just the beginning.